Posted by This Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Pasta is so simple to make, yet absolutely bursting with flavour! Say hello to your new go-to creamy pasta recipe!
PREPRATION TIME:
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Calories per serving: 600kcal
Equipment:
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Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
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12″ Skillet & Wooden Spoon
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Large Pot (for pasta)
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Jug (for stock)
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Fine Grater (for parmesan)
Ingredients (check list):
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- 10.5oz / 300g Pasta of choice (here I use Trottole)
- 7oz / 200g Chestnut Mushrooms, quartered (or variety of choice)
- 2 Chicken Breasts (approx 7oz/200g each)
- 1 1/4 cups / 310ml Heavy/Double Cream
- 1/2 cup / 125ml Chicken Stock
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Dry White Wine
- 2oz / 60g finely grated Parmesan (save a pinch to garnish)
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, plus extra to garnish
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp each: Dried Thyme, Salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper (plus more to taste)
Instructions:
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Bring your chicken breasts to room temp, then slice through the centre to make 4 equal sized breasts. Coat in 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp thyme and salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper.
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Fry over medium heat for a few mins each side until golden and just cooked through the centre. Remove from pan and allow to rest. Just before needed, slice your chicken into thin strips, ensuring you cut at a slight angle and against the natural grain of the chicken.
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Keep the heat on a medium and melt in 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Add 7oz/200g mushrooms and fry until golden. Try not to move them about too much, you want them caramelized on all sides. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
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Pour in 1/4cup/60ml white wine and let it reduce until nearly gone. This is important so it doesn’t overpower the sauce. Use your wooden spoon to scrape off the flavour from the pan.
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Pour in 1/2cup/125ml chicken stock, then stir in 1.25cups/310ml heavy cream. If the stock is rapidly bubbling lower the heat before you pour in the cream, otherwise it may curdle.
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Allow to thicken for 5-10mins. Meanwhile cook 10.5oz/300g pasta in salted boiling water until al dente. Retain a cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
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Stir in most of your 2oz/60g parmesan and 1 tbsp parsley. Season to taste, then pour in your pasta. Stir to coat, then add your chicken strips. Give it a good stir, using your starchy pasta water to thin out as necessary.
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Serve with extra parmesan and parsley.
Notes:
a) Pasta – You can really use any pasta you want. I quite like the shorter, chunky pasta with the big chunks of chicken/mushrooms. But a longer cut pasta would also work great.
b) Mushrooms – Again, feel free to use any variety you like. I like the ‘meaty’ taste of the chestnut mushroom, but others work fine. Whatever you do make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan and move them about too much. Both of these things will steam the mushrooms instead of browning them.
c) Wine – I highly recommend using this. They sell mini bottles in most grocery stores for next to nothing. The alcohol will burn off, but if you don’t want to use it just sub more chicken stock.
d) Consistency – Ensure you thicken the sauce before adding the parmesan, don’t use the parmesan to thicken the sauce. The sauce will thicken, so just keep simmering until it does. With the same token it does dry up very quickly, so use your starchy pasta water to thin out when this happens (important the pasta water is starchy and seasoned, otherwise will dilute the flavour).
e) Leftovers – Creamy pastas are notorious for not reheating well as they often go greasy. So don’t use the microwave. Heat it up in a pan with a splash of cream or milk to retain it’s ‘sauciness’
f) Calories – based on sharing between 4 people.
